Spain: The Flavor of Córdoba
The drive to Córdoba was full of olive trees! It’s no wonder Spain is one of the top producers of olive oil in the world. We saw nary a hill without an olive grove sprouting. The sprawling golden hills actually reminded us of California. No wonder the Spanish had such an easy time adjusting to the Golden Coast when they conquered it!
Getting to our hotel in the very heart of town was tortuous. The streets were itty bitty built for foot-traffic and horses back in the day. We gently scratched the side of the rear door trying to maneuver through the tight streets. I could have sprawled out lying in the width of the street and still felt like I would have needed more room! Luckily we didn’t have to drive once we parked at the hotel, but we still made plans to find an escape route with wider streets for our departure two days later.
Despite all the hassle getting there, our hotel was in the best location ever. It even had its own ruins on the premises, which I found down a flight of stairs on the first floor around the corner from the lobby.
Right across the street from our hotel was the main tourist attraction of the city: the Mezquita, or Grand Mosque. It had the loveliest views in the evening light.
Early the next morning we toured the Mezquita, which is the biggest mosque in Spain! It used to be a Christian church before the Moors took it over with their conquest in the ninth century. And, finally when Spain reconquered Granada in the 15th century, it was converted back into a church. The juxtaposition between its Christian and Muslim heritage was beautiful to see. It felt like a beacon of light leading to a future world where people of different faiths and backgrounds can come and worship together in peace.
The orange grove behind the Mezquita offered a sultry view of the church tower with palm trees and orange trees rising up to the sky.
Walking over the Roman Bridge away from the Mezquita we had a nice view of the river. And the view of the Arco del Triunfo on the bridge towards the Mezquita used to serve as one of the entry points of this once-walled city.
Not too far away, the remains of a Roman temple still stands with erect columns.
Traveling around the corner for dinner in the area, we dined at a newer restaurant serving modern Córdoban cuisine called Regadera. We tried the delicious salmorejo, a cold tomato soup topped with the Spanish specialty, jamón ibérico. Along with a tasty cod dish and the refreshing ceviche our tastebuds rejoiced at these traditional yet innovative flavors coming together on our palates. We really appreciated the departure from olive oil drenched, mayonnaise garnished cuisine like that of Barcelona.
Since we realized our preferences, we stuck to modern fare and had dinner at at El Astronauta the next night. I went with Spanish, and Ash went with Moorish — only natural given our respective heritages! My meal consisted of papatas and ovo topped with the finely sliced, world-famous jamón ibérico. Ash had chicken baked in a phyllo dough crust, which looked a lot like a spanakopita. Both were tasty and filling!
To work off our meals, we walked around the old town searching for small alleyways with hanging flower pots. Unfortunately, the hot summer weather dried them all out, but it still was nice to see the colorful pots lining the street of Calleja de las Flores. It’s one of the must-see sites in the Barrio de la Judería de Córdoba, or Jewish quarter.
The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos was another beautiful must-see garden that reminded us of The Alhambra’s palatial gardens.
We visited another maze of interconnected gardens at Palacio de Viana, a stately manor with floors, fruits and trees galore!
And, then went for a brief evening jaunt to Plaza de la Corredera, a grand square that looked a lot like the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy.
In contrast to the Moorish Granada, the Moorish Córdoba felt less touristic and more authentic to its origins. Overall, we felt more of a connection and more thoroughly enjoy the flavor of Córdoba.
